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Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has overseen an assault by a unit of special forces on a full-scale mock-up of the Blue House, the official residence of the South Korean president.

The state-run Korea Central News Agency reported on Sunday that Mr Kim monitored a series of exercises involving the special operations battalion of the Korea People's Army Unit 525, including artillery bombardments of targets and infiltration of South Korean targets.

The highlight of the drills, which are believed to have taken place on Saturday, one day after South Korean President Park Geun-hye was impeached, was the assault on the Blue House.

What appears to be a model of the Blue House is blown upCredit:
KCNA

In footage broadcast on national television, troops used ropes to descend from helicopters before commencing their attack, with the replica of the Blue House later pictured wreathed in smoke.

The images also showed attackers firing semi-automatic weapons into the building.

Kim Jong-un guides the combat drill of the service personnel of a special operation battalionCredit:
KCNA via Reuters

Mr Kim was also pictured standing in front of heavily-armed members of the unit.

"Watching the brave service personnel independently and proactively perform their combat duty, destroying specified targets of the enemy," he said with a broad smile on his face.

Hwang Kyo-ahn, the South Korean prime minister and acting president, on Saturday issued orders for the military to increase its readiness to deal with any provocative acts launched by the North as it seeks to exploit the unstable political situation in the South.